Level.



No. 792,319. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905. G. J. DBWAINE.

LEVEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25,1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wifnuouo No. 792,319. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

. c. J. DEWAINE.

LEVEL.

APPLIGATIOH FILED AUG. 26.1904.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I i l '1 n E 5 SF G. effierya. L'ILQJ witnesses i 1 fl I I $9 PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905. G. J. DEWAINE.

LEVEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26,1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

24 Ill llll.

mm. Eb." .0

S w m m wanes:

PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

G. J. DEWAINE.

LEVEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26.1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

a 6 ma w W D J z a 3 m W5 DU r 3 ,6

. 4&97 attorneys Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. DEWAINE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

LEVEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 792,319, dated June 13, 1905,

Application filed August 26, 1904. Serial No. 222,279.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. DEWAINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Levels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to levels designed for the use of carpenters, builders, and other mechanics, and aims to provide an instrument of this character which permits of ready and efficient adjustment and truing of the spiritlevel when occasion requires and convenient assemblage and disassemblage of the various parts.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings.

' While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention'is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a level embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,on a slightly-enlarged scale, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the instrument on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an irregular cross-section on the line 4 40f Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section at right angles to Fig. 4, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective view of the ring-shaped frame, the upper end of the spirit-level, and the associated part of the means for adjusting the level separated and arranged in proper relation. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of instrument. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the instrument shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are transverse sections taken, respectively, on the lines 11 11, 12 12, and 13 13 of Fig. 9. Fig. 14 is a bottom perspective view of the face-plate of the horizontal spirit-level shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 5 15 is a detailed perspective view of the horizontal spirit-level and its supporting block or frame. Fig. 16 is a bottom perspective View of the pivot-plate of the vertical spirit-level. Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the upper pivotplate of the same.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body or stock of the instrument, which may be of any dimensions and constructed of any material commonly employed in the manufacture of spirit-levels.

As shown, the body 1 is preferably a wooden bar reinforced at its extremities by metal caps 2, which may be of brass or other metal, either cast, stamped, or formed of sheet metal. Opening through the upper end of the body, on opposite sides of the vertical center thereof, are mortises 3 and 4, which are closed or covered by a metallic plate 5, let into the upper edge portion of the body 1 and secured thereto by screws or other suitable fastenings.

A transverse opening 6 is formed in the body 1 below and communicates with the mortise 3, and the intermediate portion of this opening 6 is of suitable form to receive an annular or ring-shaped supporting-frame 7, preferably formed of sheet metal. The sides of the said transverse opening are, however, enlarged and outwardly flared and receive frustoconical metal pieces 8 and 9, which closely fit therein and are formed with flanges 10 for the passage of suitable fastenings to secure the same to the sides of the body 1. As shown, in the present instance the metallic piece 8 is preferably an integral part of the ring frame 7, so as to allow it, together with said frame, to be simultaneously inserted and removed from the transverse opening 6, while the metal piece 9 is independent of connection with the frame 7 and is formed at its inner edge with a cylindrical flange 11, into which the adjacent side edge of the frame 7 is adapted to fit or telescope.

The opening 6 receives a vertically-arranged block or frame 12, provided with the bulb or tube 13, containing the liquid and air-bubble constituting the essential parts of a level, and the purpose of making the sides of the opening 6 and the metal pieces 8 and 9 of flaring or frusto-conical form is to admit of a wide range of observation of the level, the pieces 8 and 9 further serving to stay the frame 7 and reinforce the flared portions of the openmg.

The block or frame 12, which constitutes a bubble-tube holder, has its lower end extending down through and movable within a slot 14 in the lower portion of the frame 7 and bifurcated to interleave with a plate 15, secured to said frame and extending below said slot and pivotally connected thereto by a suitable pivot-fastening 16. The upper end of the block 12 projects upward into the mortise 3 through a slot 17 in the upper portion of the ring frame 7 and carries a segmental plate 18. This plate 18 is fitted to slide between the frame 7 and a channeled guide-plate 19, secured to the frame 7 above the slot 17, the

said plate 19 being provided with a slot 20' coincident with the slot 17 for the upward passage of the upper end of the block 12, so as to allow said block and the bulb-tube carried thereby to swing to a determined extent on its pivot 16. At one end the plate 19 is provided with an upwardly-extending flange 21. The plate 18 at all times closes the slots 17 and 20,-a11d thereby prevents rays of light from above interfering with the observation of the level through the sight-openings formed by the metal pieces 8 and 9.-

The upper end of the level block or frame 12 is formed with a socket 22 to receive one end of a coil-spring 23, which bears at its opposite end against the stop-flange 21 and serves to normally force the level away from said flange 21 and resist movement of the level toward said flange. A bell-crank lever 24 oocupies the mortise 3 and is pivoted at its angle or point of intersection of its arms 25- and 26 by a suitable pivot fastening to a pivotlug 27 on the plate 5. The arm 25 of this lever extends downward and engages the block 12 on the side opposite the flange 21, While the arm 26 of said lever is formed with a threaded orifice at its free end for the reception of the threaded shank of an adjusting-screw 28,- the head of which is exposed through the plate 5 to enable the same to be manipulated by a screw-driver or other suit able tool. It will thus be observed that upon turning the screw in one direction the bellcrank lever will be rocked to cause the arm 25 to swing the lever toward the flange 21 against the resistance of the spring 23, while a reverse adjustment of the screw will cause the arm 25 to move away from the level and permit the latter to be swung away from the stop 21 by the spring 23. By this means the level may be readily and conveniently adjusted and trued when occasion requires, and the spring 23 as arranged additionally serves as a cushion to relieve the level from any shock or jar incident to the instrument receiving a smart blow or fall.

As a result of the construction described it will also be seen that the parts of the adjusting means are concealed and protected from injury,

The body 1 is" further formed with a transverse opening 6, communicating with the mortise 4 and adapted to receive the frame parts of a horizontal level 13, carried by a block or frame 12 corresponding substantially in construction with the parts of the vertical level previously described. In this instance a supporting ring frame 7 and frusto-conical metal reinforcing pieces 8 and 9 similar in construction to the parts 7 8, and 9 before described are fitted within the opening 6-. The

socket 6 is, however, enlarged at one side to receive the projecting ends of the block or The said block or The and passes through a guide-opening 30 in the 5 stop-flange 21 and thence through the coilspring 23 and is threaded at its lower end to work within a threaded aperture 31, forming a continuation of the spring-receiving socket 22, in the free end of the bar 12'. The operation of adjusting the bulb-tube 13' with this construction of the adjusting means will be readily understood, and it will be seen that in this instance the adjusting devices are also concealed and protected from injury, and the parts are capable, like those of the vertical spirit-level, of being conveniently assembled and disassembled.

In the construction shown in Figs. 8 to- 17, inclusive, I have disclosed a modified form of the invention provided, as above, with a ver tical and a horizontal spirit-level, but in which the parts are mounted in a somewhat different manner to secure the same results. In the case of the vertical level it will be observed that the level-tube is disposed at one side of the center of the transverse opening and ring frame and that the guide-plate and guideframe of the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 7 ,inclusive, are dispensed with, the stop-flange 21 being fixed directly to the ring frame 7 and the spring arranged to oppose resistance to the movement of the level toward the center of the transverse observation-opening. The lower end of the bar or frame of the level also extends below the ring frame through a vertical opening in the body 1 and is pivoted at its lower end to a lug 32 on a plate 33, let into the lower edge portion of the body 1. The adjusting-lever 26 in this construction is pivoted to a plate 5, let into the upper edge portion of the body 1 and closing the mortise 3, in which said lever is disposed, and the head of the adjusting-screw 28' is countersunk in the plate 5, so as to be conveniently turned by the use of a screw-driver or other tool from the upper edge of the body or stock. The horizontal level in this modification of the invention is constructed and arranged as follows: The body 1 is mortised, as shown at 33, to receive the block or frame 34, carrying the spirit-level 35, and the sides of the body opposite the mortise 33 are cut away and outwardly and downwardly flared, as shown at 36, to admit of a wide range of observation of the level. The cut-away portions 36 are reinforced by metal pieces 37, which are flared to conform thereto and flanged for the passage of suitable fastenings to secure them to the sides of the body 1. A face-plate 38 is let into the edge portion of the body 1, hav ing the mortise 33, and covers the same and is provided with an observation-opening 39 to admit of inspecting the level from above. The plate 38 is provided at one end with a lug or projection 40 and at the opposite end with a pair of lugs or projections 41, which project into the mortise 33. The bar or frame 34 is formed at one end with projections 42, which interleave with and are pivotally connected to the projection 40 of the plate 38, and at its opposite end has a projection 43, which is adapted to move between the projections 41, which serve as guides therefor. The projection 43 is fitted with a socket 44, terminating at its lower end in a reduced threaded bore 45, which latter receives the lower threaded end of a set-screw 46, having its head countersunk in the plate 38 and the unthreaded portion of its shank passing downward through the socket 44. A coil-spring 47 incloses this portion of the shank of the screw and fits within said socket, one end of said spring bearing against the bottom wall of the socket above the screw-threaded bore and the other end thereof against the under side of the face-plate 38, so that by turning the said screw either to the right or left the block or support 34 may be adjusted to accurately position the level and true the same. The coil-spring 47 in this form of the invention corresponds in arrangement substantially to that disclosed in thehorizontallevel shown in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, and is concealed and protected from injury in a similar manner and serves in the capacity of a cushion to relieve the level from shocks or jars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a level, a pivotally-mounted bubbletube holder, a bell-crank lever for adjusting the holder in one direction, a spring opposing the action of said lever, and means for actuating the lever, substantially as described.

2. In a level, a'pivotally-mounted bubbletube holder, a spring resisting the movement of the holder in one direction, a bell-crank lever governing the action of the holder against the resistance of said spring, and means for adjusting said bell-crank lever, substantially as described.

3. In a level, the combination of a body cut away transversely to form an opening or cutaway portion, a bubble-tube holder extending into the cut-away portion aforesaid, said tube-holder being pivotally mounted at one end upon the body and provided at its other end with a socket, a spring fitted into the socket at one end to effect movement of the holder in one direction, an adjusting device cooperating with the tube-holder for actuation thereof against the resistance of the spring, and guides engaging the holder adjacent the end actuated by the spring to accurately direct the movement of said holder.

4. In a level, a body having an opening therein, a ring frame disposed in said opening and provided with a slot, a tube-holder pivotally mounted at one end and having its opposite end extending through the slot in the frame, a guide having a slot coincident projecting end of the tube-holder, a plate on the with the slot in the ring for passage of the tube-holder for closing said slots, and means acting on the end of the holder projecting through said slots to adjust the holder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. DEWAINE. [LS-.1

Witnesses:

M. R. McOoR'r, CHAS. H. STOEPPLER. 

